I was ticketed for making an illegal left turn
It was a hot summer day. I was on Ashland Avenue at Lawrence in Chicago. We had a 63 Chevy Impala and Jackie was 8 months pregnant.
I was in the intersection and the light turned red, so I completed my turn.
An officer turned on his lights and pulled me over.
I turned to Jackie and said, "Quick, get out and stretch...like you're in labor."
The officer was not impressed. I was hoping she would moan a little, because she was very big.
As he was writing stuff down, I said, "Did you notice I was already in the intersection?"
He said yes.
I was trying to be logical. "Well, if I wasn't supposed to make the turn, what should I have done?"
Without looking up he said, "Back up."
I pointed out there was a car there, but that had no effect.
His parting words were, "Pay it or go to court."
I paid it.
Now, I admit I was an inexperienced driver. If in that situation again, maybe I might do something different.
But a column in the Tribune about a week ago clearly pointed out -- 40 plus years later-- that I was in the wrong.
In Illinois, you are not supposed to enter an intersection to make a left turn until you are sure you can turn safely. That's why they put the white line on the road....drivers are supposed to wait there for a clear path.
One reason is safety..in an intersection you are exposed to traffic from four different directions while at the white line only two directions have you in their sights.
So I have begun paying attention to where people are when they are making left turns....and it seems to me more people wait in the intersection than at the white line. At some intersections that means they are still there when the light turns red and the other traffic gets a green but can't go because people are blocking the road waiting to complete a left turn.
So I chalk that first ticket up to a lack of experience.
And tomorrow I'll tell why I was an inexperienced driver.
No comments:
Post a Comment